Earl Hood

Can’t remember what we got for Jeremy Howe when he walked out but the price we have paid for that is Lever and the picks and $ he cost us. I doubt we would have chased Lever if we had Howe.

I agree in theory it should be possible to work on all these areas as they are 6 day a week professionals but I always wonder what they do with their time in the 4 or 5 months of the preseason. At best you see them 2 or 3 times a week out on the field for one or two hours, what are they doing the rest of the time? I don’t know but I hope it is not spent studying a game plan that hasn’t been working. And from watching training this year it is apparent to me that they do not play how they train anyway. When training we move the ball quickly often switching play to use the full width of the ground always looking for a forward lead up. Our training drills have zero emphasis on practicing small forward crumbing skills because our drills have us delivering the ball to a presenting key forward who will often take the mark. Come game day we are lobbing balls high to a contest that gets brought to ground but we have no small forwards positioned to take advantage but instead the opposition is there ready to run the ball out at high speed to their advantage. So the training drills we do are of limited use if we can’t replicate it on game day with success. Let’s hope for a big change out in assistant coaching resources for next year.

What do we spend our time on? Physical fitness or foot skills in the preseason? You would think you could do both but I am not sure these days as they will spend 3 sessions a week for 90 minutes or so at Goschs paddock testing their footy skills and running laps. Is that enough to make a difference to both their skills and ability to run out a game? Not sure given the lack of skills we are dealing with.

I think the AFL might be going to take pick 2 from us anyway!

Dees win 57 to 42

Out May injured, Baker in Hore, Stretch

6 Petracca 5 Fritsch 4 May 3 JKH 2 Oliver 1 OMac

Grundy seemed to be in Max’s way at every ball up, jumping into the space at the drop of the ball forcing Max to reach over him. When does that tactic become blocking?

We were set up for the switch too. He is supposed to be looking for that, instead kicked straight down to Grundy leading to a Pies goal.

5 set shots from 35 for 1g 3!

GWS totally outplayed. Interesting to see Yze in the Hawks coaches box at the end. Is there anyway we can get him back home next season to help Goody with some Clarko IP?

Where is the million dollar forward Cameron? Hardly had a touch, incredible bunch of soft talent that can only perform when it suits them it seems. Just a bit too cold it seems.

Gee wiz these Giants are going to go nowhere in the finals. If I was their coach I would tear strips off a number of them but then you aren’t allowed to do that with these young ones!

I went passed on Wednesday but training had been cancelled, then TV interviews happened Thursday, so did they train then? If they did then Friday would be limited perhaps, although having watched a few Friday sessions, they are no more than a 45 minute stretching exercise with a few kicks on goal. So you could do Thursday and Friday but at this stage why bother?

Yes I was hoping for Hore and Stretch in for OMac and Wagner. Guess poor Billy’s papers are stamped. At least JKH gets another game.

You may be right Red but Macca said to me just 2 months ago that he wanted 2 years with this group to get that elusive flag (see my earlier post). He may have changed his mind but I doubt it. If you read the corporate speak release it goes on about his attributes and his great contributions and relationships with Goodwin but gives no reason why he is going! Not even the usual ones of seeking opportunities outside MFC or wanting to spend more time with his family. In short he has jumped before he was pushed!

Yes Rjay I agree in principle of course with your approach. I believe any review should be conducted by a carefully selected sub committee of existing football department managers to look at all aspects of the football department and their initial report and recommendations to go to a club steering committee for further analysis and final recommendations to the existing football club management prior to presentation to the Board for examination and future advice on the required action. I think it is doable if we start now, to get a strategic blueprint in place for the 2021 preseason.

Cards I think you are referring to my training report of the morning before the coaching changes were announced. Macca was clear that the group needed to train harder, how you train is how you play! But he said they were young and would learn what was needed to get to the top. At the time I thought (maybe wrongly) that he was signalling a playing group that was content with last year’s achievements and he was trying give them a message that they had a long way to go. When I later heard he was being moved sideways away from direct player involvement I must say the alarm bells went off! The playershappy to Coast along and worse a coaching group happy with what Macca didn’t like. Interesting in light of today’s announcement is that he asked me if I was retired and when I said yes he responded that he wanted 2 more years to get that premiership. I can remember responding, give us 2 flags and he responded he will be happy with one. So that interchange back in June tells me he has been pushed out. If you read the weasel word corporatespeak in the media release that is obvious.

6 Gawn 5 Oliver 4 Fritsch 3 Hibberd 2 Frost 1 Harmes

Had 20 disposals at 80% efficiency so couldn’t have stuffed up too many. First game back so there is potential for improvement and I hope his team mates use him more next week.

Except we won the clearances tonight, but don’t let stats get in the way of your argument.

How did Weids get the injury, sounds like he got hit by a truck, teeth out, screws inserted? Must have been a big head high hit!

Great stuff. Interesting to hear Teague and Rodney are related and played in a country league grand final. I believe he is coaching at Saint Kevin’s these days.

That’s a worry DeeZee, that description typified the Neeld era. Players not presenting to the ball carrier when we had possession (however occasionally) and in reverse players protecting space rather than attacking the opposition ball carrier when it was coming back. Did we ever work out what that period was about? The players had zero confidence, were afraid to make mistakes and seemed totally confused by Neeld’s game plan. Have we arrived here again, albeit with a much more talented squad?

6 Gawn 5 Petracca 4 Harmes 3 Lever 2 Oliver 1 Frost