Earl Hood

And to me that’s a key question. Why can’t we reproduce that midfield pressure intensity that we displayed in the second half of 2021 that took us all the way? What has changed in terms of personnel, not a lot I think. And it’s not just the followers, it’s the wings, the half forwards and half backs. Watching the Pies do over Carlton today, their pressure on the ball carrier is what we were doing and this allowed Darcy Moore to sit back and intercept at will. Very reminiscent of our once impregnable defence with Lever & May picking off hurried disposals into the opposition’s forward line. That was us in 2021, harassing, chasing, intercepting and going back the other way so quickly, the lack of resistance allowed our midfield to pick out a forward at their leisure. And suddenly our poor forward connection problems evaporated and we dominated the finals series. That defensive, offensive running dominance has gone against better sides anyway. Without being fully competitive between the arcs our weaknesses up forward get exposed. The personnel are still there but the intensity seems to be missing.

Who is doing the camera work on the coverage, it’s hard to focus?

Great on paper but not performing but the good news is it should be easy to get it working in the second half of the season but the bad news might be I am not confident that will happen. No idea what the problems are when you have 2 dominant rucks tapping to the likes of Oliver, Tracc and Viney.

Technically it was there like about 80 others not paid this match in the rain. Rivers holding on didn’t actually impede the player who was going no where in that scrimmage but you know give the umps half a chance.

TMac form is the least of our problems. He is trying and breaking packs, it would be working if we were dominating inside 50 deliveries. But we can’t get our hands on the [censored] ball! That’s the problem.

Midfield has gone MIA. Zero clearances that quarter. WTF is going on? Ruck dominance means nothing if you can’t win clearances and we are seeing nothing much in aerial dominance around the ground. If our mids don’t pressure the ball carrier they won’t be kicking long down the line.

6 Tracc 5 Viney 4 Oliver 3 Hibberd 2 Rivers 1 Gawn

No I f**king haven’t right!

What’s with the sloppy handballs?

Boundary umpires need to lift their game this quarter.

Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty he is free at last!

But on this precedent you don’t need to actually injure the player. The act itself, if it doesn’t show a duty of care, is sufficient to be reported.

I suspect Gleeson was worded up prior, to back the MRO this week after some very poor outcomes in recent weeks. That’s how the AFL operates.

2 out 3 wins for the MRO is acceptable to the AFL for this week I guess.

Jonathon Brown, Nick Reiwolt and even Kenny Hunter, back in the day would be banned from the game these days. Going back with the flight into a pack to take a mark is just too dangerous! Where is the duty of care? Oh hold on Jono always kept his eyes on the ball, that would be totally different, that’s safe. I mean if you looked at your opponents before you polaxed them, that’s not upholding your duty of care. yes it all makes sense now.

Well the logic if it was followed through by umpires and the AFL is we have entered the era of touch footy! On this ruling you can’t initiate contact with a player in possession of the ball in any way as it could result in injury. Of course the AFL will ignore the logic and ignore similar collisions if it involves a high profile player or a big club in finals contention. And in the finals when the game gets really brutal the MRO will be looking the other way.

Unfortunately we are still on AFL welfare. Suspect we will get told to wear it or there could be ramifications. As soon as the Geelong guy went down I thought the Van was in trouble. Suspect the tribunal has been worded up to back the MRO after a succession of tribunal hearings overturning the MRO.

Yes I managed to make my way up to one of the spires to watch the second half on my phone between ceremonies. Big day, what with me riding in to the Abbey the King’s Cavalry and me holding the Royal Sceptre aloft!

6 Gawn 5 Viney 4 Oliver 3 Rivers 2 Brayshaw 1 Bowey

Only watched the last 20 minutes of a hard fought 4th Quarter where I expected the Pies to surge and the Crows to choke and sure enough. But what stood out in a quarter of numerous ball ups and throw ins, was Frampton in the ruck giving O’Brien a bath. He was belting the ball to space or palming it deftly to his mids at will it seemed. That made it tough for the Crows midfield. I checked the stats and O’Brien dominated the hit outs for the match but not in the 4th and really dropped his bundle I thought.

Yet they can be outplayed for significant periods of matches by average to good sides. It’s odd. Crows kick straight and the Pies would be almost out of the match.

Used to live near me in Fitzroy until last year I think. Why move from Fitzroy? I don’t get it.

I think you are right. I can’t work out what rule a number of these so called frees are awarded for.

Gee Dee fence, just noticed where you reside. I thought you might have a other priorities to at the moment rather than MFC’s draft strategy? But I agree with your thoughts. Good luck over there.

Backline not good but where is the midfield?