Earl Hood

Maybe not this game but we are not far off just playing the future to work out what we have got. But for the next game I think it is Weid in AVB out. Maybe OMac in down back as well but depends on matchups. I would like to see Sparrow get a run but who do you drop from the midfield and let’s face it given this years training, playing restrictions I say don’t make more than 2 changes per game. We made 12 changes in 2 games so the side struggles to know what players are going to do. I still have the feeling we have some good cattle but we are not instructed well and don’t have a great game plan.

6 Gawn 5 Brayshaw 4 Oliver 3 Tomlinson 2 Hibberd 1 TMac

Strewth you can argue TMac’s impact but lack of effort? Got too numerous contests, took one front on and kicked an important goal in a shizen game.

Will certainly be watching how we deliver the ball into our forward 50. We have gone with a smallish forward setup so we better not be bombing long to the square!

Hey Rusty I don’t think we have 6 on the bench this year but I am agreeing with you, Harmes should play a shutdown mid role and drift forward when he can because he can score. But they are struggling to fit in a number of contested mids who don’t naturally have a second string, e.g. Brayshaw, Viney, and Oliver to some extent.

Is all this a result of us drafting a similar player type over about 5 consecutive draft years? Under Roos and now Goodwin we have brought in a plethora of contested midfield types who largely have clicked. That is good but now we don’t know where to play them all.

They probably won’t push Smith forward I think as he has trained down back all preseason, so am hoping they go with Jackson to give us at least 2 talls up forward and take some heat off Fritsch and Melk.

Many more candidates ahead of Petty for a delist. We are very short on tall key position players at the moment.

I think the only MFC KPF star of yesteryear that would struggle today would be Jakovich. More than enough talent but he had attitude issues, didn’t like training all that much, wasn’t overly fit and was a free spirit who would not have liked being put in a straight jacket with all of today’s team rules and coaching.

We could be too fresh after one game in how many months? I hope tomorrow’s Intra Club at the MCG is full on. I don’t want manic tackling but it should go the full time to test their fitness and make it clear performances will count.

Well come on Saty you can make that argument but if we insist on bombing it in long we may as well train for it even though many say, as I do we used to train differently. From my PreCovid training observations we move the ball around but in a game we bomb long? Que.

This was always likely, anyone watching Frost over his journey could see he was progressively limiting his clangers and increasing his zingers, if that is a word to describe his extraordinary athletic and often audacious dashes out of defence. He was always a defensive weapon just had to work to his strengths, size and speed and limit his kicking errors. In a well organised defence it seems it is working.

Tigers totally outplayed yet had one less scoring shot and kicked I think 2 goals 6 from set shots and those set shots weren’t difficult. Now we regularly kicked the same from set shots last year and reckon it cost us about 4 games. Can’t work out why they don’t put more store into goal kicking accuracy. It wins games.

Christ can Hawthorn just go away, ever? They look like premiership stuff this half again!

Looks like it is going to be a bizarre year. The Tiges are making every error you can think up.

That last free for holding the ball in front of goal was rubbish. Yes the tiger grabbed the loose ball was immediately tackled, no prior but actually got a stifled handball in to release the ball, but gets pinged. Hawks look to be on fire but the Tigers have been insipid.

What’s going on with the Tigers? They look like us, missing targets by foot, handballs to your feet, missing a set shot from dead in front, leaving key forwards unguarded. Bizarre.

Would love Sparrow to get a guernsey to see what he has got. But gee as an inside/outside mid he is going to struggle to get a run with Oliver, Viney, Tracc, Brayshaw and Harmes and newbies Langdon and Tomlinson ahead of him. Only so many midfield/wing spots available I suppose.

6 Petracca 5 Oliver 4 Gawn 3 Hunt 2 Rivers 1 Langdon

Kid can play

Jeremy Howe walking out has cost us a lot in retrospect. We would not have needed to chase Lever as an intercept back and instead would have taken our first rounders. So far Lever is just a player, hope this changes.

Trouble is work rate is mental stuff not fitness. We got arrogant in the second quarter, thinking it was just going to be a stroll in the park and what worries me the over confident, lairising culprits were our on field leaders, Max and Steven May in the second quarter giving away 2 goals and letting the Blues back into the game. After that the team lost its nerve and confidence. That said it is Smith out, OMac in I think. Kossie in and Lockhart possibilities. And the Weid in and need to seriously look at TMac

Andrew you are making sense, don’t worry you will learn! Welcome aboard.

Ummh 2 goals what though? If they kicked their set shots?

Sorry I am a Smith fan but he was shizen today, no idea when to go or when to stay back on your man, total liability. Yes his first game down back but I worry now about his footy IQ. He has ability but how do you use it. I wonder if he is best used on the wing, looks like a limited future. I thought Tomlinson was okay today myself. He wasn’t recruited to take big marks.