Earl Hood

Unfortunately this blind bombing is seemingly ingrained in our core mids, Viney, Oliver, even Tracc. Any attempts to change our delivery into our forward line is going to struggle when our engine room only knows how play one way.

I wonder are they going to stick with these “short, unregulated optional sessions after running out of steam in the last quarter of both games while botching a high % of set shot kicks at goal from inside 40 metres?

I think it was on Footy Inferno yesterday that Hird and Bartel were nominating the best tagger in the league and couldn’t agree on whether it was Jordan or if it was Bedford!

In hindsight I am not sure we shouldn’t have tried to manage the exit at a good price, of several of our best or better players for early draft picks over the last 2 seasons. Petty, Viney, Tracc, Oliver were trades all talked about but never happened. Get 2 of those done for first round picks (plus some) or swaps for the right player, we would be better off as a team.

We saw three fifth’s of f**k all in terms of on field leadership from everybody, Gawn, Tracc, Oliver, Viney, Langdon, Lever……

Sorry I misread your post as that you had some info or a theory. I myself am somewhat discombobulated after today’s debacle!

FFS these 2 at late 20’s should be in their prime physically and mentally! They are both pulling big $, sorry but what’s the excuse?

Maybe that explains the apparent, from afar, total lack of on field leadership? It wasn’t just Max, it’s Tracc, Oliver, Viney. I saw nothing, maybe I missed it.

Just got the time to watch a replay of the last quarter our match after being in attendance at the MCG today after watching the last quarter of last nights Hawks win. The difference in game style in the last quarter of two tight matches at the G in damp conditions was stark. We played our last quarter doggedly, very conservative and defensive and eventually we coughed up a small lead in the last minute. Contrast the Hawks last quarter, they never stopped running, taking risks, moving the ball forward at all costs and extended a 5 pt lead to a 20 pt win. In the first half our ball movement was an improvement on previous years but as the pressure mounted and time wore on I thought we became increasingly slower, defensive and predictable in our ball use. The modern game as played by the Pies, Lions, Hawks, Freo, etc is relentless, risky, rapid ball movement. For all the individual talent we can put on the field, I fear we are going to really struggle with the modern game style.

The Bulldogs battled valiantly but you have to give credit when it is due, it was just relentless pressure from the Umpires that told in the end.

Is Seston a forward or a half back?

It’s in Tassie though.

Agree. What’s frustrating is the first training run at Gosch’s I attended this preseason I was watching a 20 minutes match sim, eagerly looking for signs of our new game plan. Instead it was 20 minutes of negative congested play confined mainly to one side of the ground. I was very unimpressed until I later found out Goody was simulating the last minutes of a close match and how to kill the play etc. So we train for yesterday’s scenario, 3 points up, 2 minutes to go, we have possession and a shot at goal, what to do? DO NOT take the low percentage shot and cough up possession. The rookie AJ is not to blame, where were our on-field leaders?

6 Gawn 5 Salem 4 Lever 3 Sparrow 2 Petracca 1 Windsor

Yes my thoughts exactly as the game ended. AJ should not have taken that low percentage kick at goal with minutes to go. I don’t blame him I blame our senior players and particularly our coaches. He was shooting from near the interchange bench so no issue with instructions. Players needed to set up behind AJ and chip it around soaking up precious time, looking for a better angle and importantly forcing giants to advance forward to force a disposal and hopefully opening up a few holes in a crowded F50. And if that doesn’t occur put the ball into the forward pocket and out of bounds for a throw in. In short DO NOT GIVE THE OPPOSITION A POINT KICK OUT with a 2 minutes to go! End of frustrated rant!

Yep Umpire fell for the 3 card trick. He had no way of knowing whether Greene had one hand holding Petty back or was Petty holding Greene by the arm.

Spare a thought for me I got dragged up to Sydney by my Hawk supporting wife and had to sit through the whole show, pretending to support the Hawks and then getting drenched in the last quarter. Then it took 2 hours to get back to our hotel! Even with the tram and only 40,000 crowd, it’s a schmozzle getting out of that ground and home.

It’s worrying we don’t have big, pack crashing marking options and we are light on for opportunist small forwards with class. Kossi is suspended and earmarked for midfield role when he is back, McAdam injured, Spargo still recovering, Chandler struggling, Mentha, Henderson? Of course with rapid ball movement and good delivery into a F50 with forwards getting separation we might cover the lack of specialists and rack up big scores. But looking at our ball movement against Freo, it frustratingly looks very familiar, shallow entries often to forwards that are covered. The usual so called lack of connection between the mids and forwards! It’s only been an issue for 3 or 4 seasons though.

A whole hour! I hope they don’t overdo things.

Money: Whence it came, where it went! Actually the title of a book by JK Galbraith!

Yes we do but in a meaningful way, maybe that’s debatable .

The old firm were back and firing, Clarrie, Viney, Tracc, Gawn were great. We won all the stats that supposedly count, clearances, contested & uncontested possessions, inside 50’s. But still lost by 3 goals. It’s only a practice game but I ask what value has the coaching squad added to our game plan/style over the off season?

Good contested footy in the third quarter. Oliver in everything, Gawn dominating, Tracc adding some class, Viney in and under. It’s the old crew back and humming with some cameo help from the newbies. Now if I am a “well paid” Head of Football I might be asking myself at this, admittedly, it’s very early in the season, but where is the value add of the “very highly paid” Coaching Department? Me I don’t see any added value at this early stage! Hopefully we are holding our cards.

Vamos Diablos!

And what’s the recovery road for an MCL?