Earl Hood

I think someone said he was given leave to go home for family issues? I was looking for him at training but didn’t notice him as I was looking to see if they would use him as a designated line breaker in the match sim today as we had heard from earlier track watchers. Didn’t see that.

Yes thankfully we kept Tom. We are now looking at Tommy, Petty, Mitch Brown and Luke Jackson as key forwards, aligned with Fritsch, Tracc, Melchum as mid sized forwards with Spargo, Kossie, Nibbler as crumbers.... it’s not the end of the world if our midfield dominance continues into 2021 and you know we get that connection between mids and forwards functioning.

I think the real key from these drills is to get the players to present and give the ball carrier multiple options hopefully within 20 to 25m. Most of our players should be able to deliver a low trajectory pass to a target 20m away, surely. One of our deficiencies I believe in recent years has been players not presenting ahead of the ball carrier coming out of defence, hence the long bomb or hopeful 45m speared pass that gets intercepted. There are only 2 or 3 guys in any side that can deliver this miracle pass onto a team mate’s chest. So you need multiple options, short, long or wide. That was the great value Langdon brought to us last year, he always positioned himself on the wing to be a sideways option for the ball carrier. That made us a much better side and we needed the same on the other wing. It gives the ball carrier confidence to take on the opposition, knowing they will always have an outlet thru Langdon. If you can get others to always provide escape options, ball carriers will take the game on more and more. That’s my theory anyway.

Beautiful day for a drive so I decided to take the Corvette out for a test drive and headed down the Eastern to the Monash and on to Cranbourne. Got there late but watched for about 50 minutes or so from behind the bloody fence! I found it difficult to identify the newbies during the session and one group kept their yellow tops on for the whole session, so no numbers. Conditions were near perfect, the ground surface looks superb, it was sunny, warm and there was no wind! Very odd conditions for Casey. They were doing full ground ball movement when I arrived, then broke into 3 groups, 2 doing the handball keeping off routine that has been described in other training reports, the 3rd group included the big boys, Max, Bradtke, TMac and LJ contesting marks and kicking passes back to Farmer, Harmes, Jetta. They then moved to another full ground more contested, ball movement exercise, yellows vs blues. This went for two 10 minute halves. one group was doing exercises off to the side for most of the session, Viney and Gus in a harness pulling weights up and down the boundary. AVD, Weideman, Chandler, Mitch Brown, Petty, Smith all working hard on a weights circuit that looked punishing. Melchum was in and out of routines, then doing laps, then disappeared into the gym. The last full ground contest was interesting, they are certainly looking sharp and energetic, they all look to be in great shape. But as this routine progressed I found it was a mix of the good and the average. Players at times missed targets, turning the ball over at worst or picked a poor option passing to a player that was clear but because the delivery was not to his advantage, too high or to the wrong side, defenders were able to make ground to intercept or punch the ball away. The other disturbing thing for me anyway was that I don’t believe I saw a goal kicked from beyond 25m in this exercise. Shots on the run from 35m missed, the few set shots from 35 to 40 looked like they missed as well. However Goody was watching this intently and seemed pleased with the play, he only pulled play up once and reset everyone because maybe there were players out of position? As I say the ball movement looks good but there was a lack of polish given the contest meter was at about 70% compared to game day but of course the coaches may be urging them to push their ball movement skills to their limits. Individual observations: LJ took a screamer on top of Jonesy, who ended up face planted in the turf but got up OK. He is moving very well and has clean hands. May and Lever on opposing sides were each standouts for their defences, May took a great pack mark, one handed, played on and passed off to an opponent unfortunately. TMac generally playing forward of centre, he did some nice things, he does seem to be moving better this year, still managed to get tackled, holding the ball when he took on one defender too many. What’s new? You always have your heart in your mouth when Tommy decides to take on the opposition with ball in hand. I think it was Rivers for the yellows who took on all comers from half back to sprint past 2 or 3 blues and deliver a pass to the forward pocket. Very impressive piece of play. Bradtke took a couple of nice pack grabs and competed well against Max at the centre ball ups, umpired by Jordon Lewis. He just might develop into something. He has always had skills and agility just seemed he needed to put on some muscle and learn to throw his weight around. Salem stood out as the link man when the yellows were transitioning the ball from defence to attack, he had a lot of it and I don’t think he made a false move all session. Best on ground today. Rosman took a good contested grab up forward for the blues and had a set shot from 45, it was close and no problem with the distance. That’s about it, sorry with half the guys in yellow and often on the other side of the ground I could not identify many of thee new guys. As I left most were doing goal kicking practice and the rehab guys were still busting their guts on the weights circuit. It was time to head off to Tooradin and lunch at the Jetty Cafe! The Vette never missed a beat

I was once told by a local that every house in Daintree had a python living in the roof space!

Having watched training regularly in previous seasons at Gosch’s and then watching in dismay at some of our match day efforts I have regularly commented on Dland that these guys are not playing as they train. The mid/forward disconnect that is talked about ad nauseam, you know the running forward and attacking in straight, predictable lines, the long bombing to the square, when the forwards have led out of the square, etc, etc. You don’t see that at training in game simulations, it is all about unpredictable ball movement, looking for free and short options, constant movement. Come game day against a good opponent this all disappears at least in the past 2 seasons. Maybe this is the year it all starts to work.

I believe the new national Women’s Farnarkeling League matches will be televised by SBS this year!

Exactly. Poor Bennet was forced out to CHF and never was the same again. He wasn’t mobile enough nor a great overhead mark. Given he could kick goals from 60 m you would think it would have worked, if only he could get the ball.

One interesting observation from Stinga was about Kossie in a one off white top in the 3/4 field ball movement exercise. He seems to be used as a go to option with a directive to take on the defenders. That is get the ball to Kossie around the centre for him to run and break the lines at all costs. I will be interested to hear if future track watchers observe the same tactics as it may mean they are looking to play Kossie further up the field so he can use his speed to more advantage.

Here is another blues guitarist I have discovered in lockdown. Gary Clark Jr. He does know how to play a guitar I think. Cool dude! Here is Bright Lights.

Still haven’t seen a good explanation as to why the insurrection failed. Yes most were there to cause some trouble, do a bit of looting and take selfies but there were a number of well armed, military trained groups determined to take hostages and it appears they had inside intelligence, they had maps of tunnels and help from some of the defenders. The defenders were undermanned, unprepared and abandoned by whoever should have deployed the National Guard, and the FBI who were warned of what was brewing but appears to have done nothing. Is it a case that if only the mob threatening the Capitol had been Muslim, Latino, Black or Communist we would have been ready? For some reason the well armed mob was halted by a few brave officials barricaded behind a door armed with pistols. If ever a US disaster needs to be forensically investigated, it’s this one.

Here is a bit of Jimmy and Joe. Jimmy’s daughter does backing vocals for Joe as well. What a voice, what guitar work!

Here is another Joe classic performed at the Sydney Opera House

Don’t know why I hadn’t come across Joe earlier but he does some great guitar work!

Hello! Where is everyone?

Really hope we get to see what Jackson has to offer this year. Kozzie to really grow into the defensive forward, crumbing role Tracc to move up to Dusty level someone to make the other wing their own to compliment Langdon - TMacc, Hunt, Smith???

How many small forwards do we need? Kossie, Spargo, ANB, Chandler, Viney, who I would like to see play as a defensive forward/mid, Bedford, Hunt....now two more!

Yes never heard of draftee, no matter the pick number not having skills! It’s about deciphering the code. What’s the old one, if the player’s assets are footy smarts and quick hands it means the player is as slow as treacle across the ground. They are all potential champions until they are tested in their first season or two, then the failure/delist rate is what 30%?

I read where the Tigers have emphasised the importance of using mindfulness techniques to reduce anxiety, improve focus on the present etc. They also promoted the importance of enjoying the experience with their light hearted joking in the pre-start huddles when opposition teams are doing the opposite, revving themselves up as if they are going into battle. Whatever the Tigers are doing psychologically, it is working a treat.

I can see your point but watching him this year I started to change my former opinion of Charlie as an undersized forward option with poor tackle pressure, no explosive pace and not many other tricks. He does have a good footy brain, he knows where to position himself for the fall of the ball, he can kick a goal and I think he will develop the ability to stick tackles. He also seems to have a good attitude. I am a convert that the Spargo experiment could work.

Mitch arrived at MFC first so he should be B1 and Ben B2! That would be less confusing.

Looks like the dorks got Phillips for next to nothing and I suspect the Pies are picking part of his pay as the Hawks originally baulked at the $600k per year but late phone calls with the Pies got the deal done. Thought we should have been into Phillips knowing the pies were desperate.

Still out of contract?

Not sure letting Cross and Plapp go is a positive. Who are the replacements, if there are any?

Still a interesting choice by Smith to me. He had the choice of running the deep wings at the G for a majority of games or running in traffic at Cardinia Park that has no wings. As Hawks supporters tell me he Doesn’t tackle and likes to have space to receive, and run. It will be interesting to see how he plays at Geelong next year.